Sirius Black and the Four Founders
by Lady Red 88
Summary: What is the Veil exactly? Sirius discovers this the hard way when he finds himself in the future as an 11 yr old and attending Hogwarts a second time with James Potter II. One thing's for certain, life sure has gone to the dogs. DISCONTINUED.
1. A Hot Summer Night

**Sirius Black and the Four Founders **

By Lady Red

_What is the Veil exactly? Sirius discovers this the hard way when he finds himself in the future as an 11 yr old and attending Hogwarts a second time with James Potter II. One thing's for certain, life sure has gone to the dogs. _

**Chapter One **

**A Hot Summer Night**

It was a clear, crisp night on the moors in Scotland at the end of a long, hot summer. The heat had rolled in early that year, hanging about like an unwanted smell. The locals had written it off as the worst summer in the last thirty years.

Abigail Thatcher was no exception as she trundled home in her little, old VW Beetle. She had just finished a rather lengthy visit in town with the local Woman's Institute. Lyn Norwood had been most unpleasant and had reminded Abigail all too vividly of her disastrous carrot cake at the Summer Fair last month. After several hours complaining about the weather however, Abigail felt confident that she'd buried the issue and hopefully the obnoxious Mrs. Norwood wouldn't bring it up again.

With her mind full of weather and Lyn Norwood's terribly sharp tongue, Abigail almost didn't see the shape in the dim darkness in the middle of the road before it was too late. As it was, there was a tremendous screech of tyres on the asphalt as Abigail slammed on the brakes. She shrieked loudly as the car careered sideways, the little Beetle threatening to tip as her groceries flung themselves against the windows.

Finally the car slide to a halt, the engine idling for a moment and suddenly dieing away with one last choked grunt. Silence descended as Abigail listened to the sound of her heart beating against her ribs. After a moment though, she pulled herself together, straightened her shawl and opened the car door.

The figure lay unmoving, face down on the road and illuminated by the headlights of the car as she tottered around to get a better look.

"My word," she breathed, pulling back a length of dark hair to reveal a young, rather battered and bruised face. Why, the boy could be hardly more than 12! What on earth had happened to him she wondered.

Despite pushing nearly seventy, Abigail Thatcher was as tough as they came so she hardly thought anything of it as she hauled the boy up, pulling one arm around her own shoulders. His head lolled uselessly against his shoulder like a drunken puppet but Abigail hardly minded. She was more concerned about the thin feel of his ribs through the shabby robes he was dressed in. In any case, the clothes were far too big and kept slipping off one bony shoulder as she man-handled him around the side of her car.

Panting by then, Abigail somehow managed to open the door and drop the boy onto the back seat with the groceries. An orange burst under him, leaking out onto the floor and Abigail sighed.

Taking a few quick breathes, she gathered herself once more and finally succeeded in folding his legs up and shutting the door then she got into the driver's seat.

After a few tries, she finally started the old beetle and then they were off. Abigail thought it might be wise to head straight back to town and the local hospital but in the end, she was much closer to home and having been a nurse in her younger days, she decided it would be much easier to go home.

Despite the roughed up look, the child was only unconscious she told herself and besides, Abigail found she was rather curious. It wasn't often you came across unconscious children in the dead of night. Perhaps the child was a run away? Or maybe there was more to it. The robes for certain, were definitely a little odd she mused to herself but as adults are won't to do, she pushed the unusual thought to one side. Had she known what was in store for her, old Abigail Thatcher might have changed her mind but then again, it is sometimes the memories we wish to forget that define us the most of all.

0-0-0-0-0-0

In the dim darkness the following morning of Mrs. Thatcher's guest bedroom, Sirius Black slowly came too.

Blinking hazily, he tried to make sense for a moment of the unfamiliar ceiling but when he failed to recognise it, he sighed to himself and slowly sat up. Every muscle in his body winced and protested against the movement but Sirius forcefully ignored it.

The bedroom he was in smelled faintly of lavender. On the bedside table rested a glass of water and a short note. Sirius picked it up and read it over quickly.

_Morning dear, _

_In case I'm not awake when you read this or not around, you are in the house of Abigail Thatcher. I discovered you lying on the roadside last night as I journeyed home from town. _

_Please make yourself at home. The cereal's in the pantry and the bread is in the bread box on the bench by the window. You can find spreads in the cupboard beneath and milk in the fridge. Feel free to also make yourself a hot drink if you like. _

_I'm not sure how you came to be lying on the roadside but please remain at home until we can sort something out for you. _

_Mrs. Thatcher _

Sirius frowned. The note really didn't explain much to him but at least he knew he was safe for the time being.

Standing up, Sirius pushed his hair back, stretched lazily and stumbled over to the door, still half asleep. He nearly tripped over something and looked down, surprised to realize he was wearing a set of black robes, far too big for him and horribly filthy.

Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Sirius looked around and spotted a neatly folded set of clothing at the end of the bed. There was another note pinned to the chequered shirt as he picked it up.

_These were my late husbands. Probably a little too big for you but we'll do something about that later. _

The shirt, like the room, smelled faintly of lavender as he discarded the robes and slipped it on. He pulled on the pair of shorts folded underneath and had to use the belt and cinch it on the last hole to hold his shorts up. There were no shoes but there were a pair of socks which Sirius pulled on, grateful he didn't have to stand on the cool, wooden floorboards anymore.

Opening the door, Sirius padded quietly out onto the landing. There was no one in sight as he made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. He passed several unusual items, including a misshapen object about the size of his hand with a spiralling cord and a flashing light on it. There was also a funny looking machine parked outside as he looked out the kitchen window and a tall, white box standing in the kitchen that was cold to the touch. Various other odd looking objects lay scattered about the kitchen and Sirius eyed them curiously but refrained from touching. He wasn't sure he wanted to test his luck and one of the objects looked like it could cut his hand off with a pair of blades protruding from a metal cylinder.

Opening the cupboard, he located the spreads and pulled out a jar of jam, feeling it should be safe enough. Selecting several slices of bread, Sirius suddenly found himself ravenous as he layered on the jam thickly and dropped the three slices of bread onto a plate left out for him.

Picking up the plate, he wandered across to the table and sat down. Gradually the sun had risen and filtered into the room through Mrs. Thatcher's lacy curtains. It gave the room a rather pleasant feel alongside the patterned wallpaper and the squashy armchairs. Stacks of ornaments made out as little woodland animals were placed carefully throughout the room and Sirius even spotted a little black cat curled up on the windowsill outside, enjoying the benefits of the morning sunshine.

Something about the little black cat tugged at his memory. Black…black – his name was Sirius Black, wasn't it? But for some reason he felt it unwise to spread that information about. Why was that?

Sirius frowned, forgetting about his slice of bread as it dropped unnoticed, into his lap. It had something to do with someone, someone called Harold? No, Harry. Yes, someone called Harry. But who was this Harry person? Sirius couldn't remember. In fact, he couldn't remember anything. Who was he? Why had he been lying in the middle of the road like that?

Sirius suddenly began to feel panicky. What was going on? What were those strange clothes he had been wearing? Why couldn't he remember anything? Who were his parents? Did he even have any?

His thoughts seemed to throb round and round his head in some sort of strange rhythm. Blackness consumed his vision and suddenly, someone was shaking him by the shoulder.

"Boy, BOY! For heaven's sake, wake up!"

"Who?"

Groggily, Sirius turned sideways to see a slightly blurred and worried face. The image sharpened and Sirius realised an old woman was shaking him. Mrs. Thatcher then?

"If you're not well you shouldn't be up. Come along."

Grasping Sirius arm, she pulled him to his feet. The bread dropped out of his lap to land on the floor but Sirius didn't notice.

With surprising strength, Mrs. Thatcher steered Sirius over to the couch where he flopped down onto it and lay back, his head spinning. His blood was pounding and pins and needles ran up his legs, like he had been seated for a very long time.

"Dear me," grumbled Mrs. Thatcher.

Sirius heard her move away and a moment later she was back, pressing a cold cloth to his forehead.

"You're a silly fool for taxing yourself like that. You should have stayed in bed if you weren't up to it."

"I'm fine," growled Sirius, something about her words sparking rebellion within him.

Pushing away the cloth, Sirius sat up. Mrs. Thatcher's lips tightened into a grim line and she eyed Sirius disapprovingly.

"I'm sure you are now love," she snipped, "but you're still as pale as a ghost."

Sirius said nothing, choosing to glare moodily at the carpet. He heard a sigh and a moment later Mrs. Thatcher moved away.

He listened to her clear up his uneaten breakfast and then heard the sounds of her footsteps followed by running water and a clatter as she dumped his dishes in the sink.

"Honestly, children these days," Sirius heard her mutter.

There was the sound of washing up but by then, Sirius thoughts had drifted and he was recalling his little 'episode'. He was sure he'd never experienced anything like it before but then again, he couldn't remember anything, could he?

This time, Sirius thought about it calmly, rationally going through everything he could remember up until he'd woken up. The list brought up next to nothing other than that his name was Sirius Black, he was connected to someone called Harry and he probably wasn't from around here. Sirius still didn't recognise many items in Mrs. Thatcher's home and his state of dress only confirmed the fact that he didn't belong here.

Sirius tried to remember more but hastily gave up when his head started to pound a little.

A moment later, Mrs. Thatcher was back, hands on her hips as she eyed Sirius up and down. She tutted to herself for a moment, shook her head and then walked over to the armchair opposite Sirius and sat down.

Fixing Sirius with a straightforward stare that dared Sirius to lie to her, she let him stew for a moment before hesitantly speaking.

"So…dear. I suppose we can't call you that. Do you have a name child?" she asked.

Sirius opened his mouth to say his name but pulled himself up short at the last possible second. Something was telling him it was dangerous to use the name Sirius Black. It was more of a gut instinct then anything but Sirius trusted that feeling and eventually mumbled out the first thing that came to mind.

"Harry, just Harry."

"What? Can't you remember your last name?"

Mrs. Thatcher's concerned gaze tugged at Sirius conscious but he stuck to the lie. He might be lying about his name but it was true that he couldn't remember anything else.

"No and I can't really remember anything else either," replied Sirius. "I don't know why I was lying on the road. It kind of hurts though, if I try to remember."

"Oh you poor thing," murmured Mrs. Thatcher sympathetically. She reached out and grasped Sirius hand. Sirius was surprised to find the comforting gesture nearly brought him to tears and for the first time, Sirius felt the enormity of his situation surround him.

"Do you remember how old you are?" she asked gently.

"Eleven," answered Sirius. "I turned eleven in May."

The answer had rolled promptly off his tongue and Sirius felt a little surprised. He wondered what other things would come automatically to him.

"I see, do you remember your parents?"

Sirius thought about it, his face screwing up slightly. He tried to remember but once his head began to pound a little he gave up.

"I can't…" Sirius paused. Something else had emerged instead and with a frown, he answered, "no. They're dead. Died ages ago."

"Really?" enquired Mrs. Thatcher, her eyebrows going up a little.

Sirius didn't answer for a moment, still wondering how this knowledge had come to him.

"Yes," he answered eventually with a half-hearted shrug. "I just know its true is all."

"Very well dear," sighed Mrs. Thatcher finally.

"Well I have to go into town this morning and make some enquiries. You'll need some things to I suppose," she said, looking Sirius up and down thoughtfully.

Nodding to herself, Mrs. Thatcher disappeared upstairs for several minutes before she returned, dressed in a summer blouse and hat with her handbag swinging from her arm. She didn't walk as Sirius had seen a lot of old woman do but rather, straight and proud with a smooth flow to her gait.

He followed her to the front door and watched curiously as she got into the strange machine he'd seen from the kitchen window. To his surprise, it suddenly began to make a loud noise and took off with a clatter. Mrs. Thatcher waved at Sirius' gob-smacked expression before he hastily remembered to close his mouth and wave back.

He watched her for several minutes until she disappeared around the bend and silence gradually descended as the noise of Mrs. Thatcher's machine faded into the distance. Sirius took a moment to take stock of the surrounding countryside which consisted of rolling hills and no other sign of civilisation before he turned and retreated inside.

The next several hours passed rather slowly for Sirius. He explored the house thoroughly, discovering that Mrs. Thatcher slept just down the hall from where he had awakened. Outside, there was a small paddock with six cows and four sheep which he spent an hour or two harassing before he grew bored with that and went back into the house. Eventually he fell asleep on the lounge, the warm summer air making him feel rather sleepy.

He dreamed he was wandering down a darkened hallway. The wallpaper was grey and filthy and for some reason, it was important that he keep utterly silent. In his care to be quiet, he didn't notice an umbrella stand until he had tripped over it. The resulting noise invoked a horrendous shrieking scream of rage. Sirius covered his ears as the sound swept over him, totally deafening him and just like that, the noise stopped.

Sirius opened his eyes to a cold, dark cell. The place felt harsh and barren. There was no sign of life and Sirius instinctively curled up so he took up the smallest amount of space possible. He shivered in the darkness and suddenly froze, fear crawling up his spine as he sensed something approach.

Any aspect of warmth seemed to vanish from the cell. It had hardly been warm to begin with but this new cold felt completely freezing. His breath misted in the air before his face as every last inch of feeling seemed to flee from him. Sirius whimpered slightly. The fear was engulfing him. Something was telling him he'd suffered this kind of thing before and he hated it, whatever it was.

A swishing of something through the air reached Sirius' ears and he curled up even tighter. It was coming for him.

Abruptly, the door to his cell began to creak and slowly swing inwards. A slimy, skeletal hand appeared, pushing the door open and Sirius reeled in horror.

He woke with a yell, tumbling sideways off the lounge and bringing the side table down with a crash as his hand caught on the edge. Panting, Sirius lay for a moment, letting the silence wash over him as his racing heart tried to calm down.

The nightmare continued to linger and Sirius shuddered. He had no idea what that thing had been. It never occurred to Sirius that it may have been a figment of his imagination. He somehow knew such creatures existed so he didn't think to question his own sanity.

Rolling over, Sirius collected the things he'd knocked off the table and carefully replaced them. He was relieved to note that he hadn't broken anything.

As he placed a long, black box with buttons back onto the table, something rather peculiar happened. Sirius turned, surprised to hear a voice speaking behind him. The black box sitting opposite the lounge suddenly had a person in it. He was talking and moving away as if everything were normal.

Fascinated, Sirius picked up the little black box again and moved in front of the box with the moving pictures.

He was still in the same place an hour later when Mrs. Thatcher returned. Hearing the front door open and shut, Sirius jumped and hastily turned off the box, returning the little control for it to where he'd found it. He wasn't sure what Mrs. Thatcher would think should she find him playing with it and he'd didn't particularly feel like taking the chance.

"Harry? Ah, there you are," said Mrs. Thatcher, walking into the lounge room.

"Could you help me get the shopping in?" she asked.

"Err…sure," answered Sirius, dutifully heading outside.

Mrs. Thatcher's strange machine was sitting around the side of the house this time in the shade and Sirius was relieved to see that it was open so he could easily get at the shopping. He shuddered to think what would happen if he wasn't able to get into the odd contraption.

Once Sirius had finished, he returned to the kitchen to find Mrs. Thatcher cutting up some vegetables. Sirius had failed to realize the sun had almost set and it was coming up close to dinner time. His stomach gave a small rumble at the thought of food as he recalled that he hadn't eaten since the episode this morning.

"All done Harry?" queried Mrs. Thatcher over her shoulder. Sirius nodded.

"Good, you can help me out with the vegies then please."

Sirius nearly protested but stopped himself and coloured slightly.

"Of course," he answered, moving across to help.

Mrs. Thatcher moved aside to make room for Sirius and passed him over the vegetables she'd started on. She then picked up half a dozen potatoes and began peeling them over the sink.

"So," she said after awhile.

"I dropped by the local orphanage and asked about you. They haven't had any children go missing from there and they also ran a search for me using a network hooked up throughout all the orphanages in the country. Clever things these days," mused Mrs. Thatcher.

"I tell you, one day technology is going to become so advanced it'll seem like magic."

"I suppose so," agreed Sirius, not really paying attention.

"Anyway, no such luck. No child fitting your description or name has gone missing. I also got in touch with the police and they're running a search on you as we speak. We should know by tomorrow who you are hopefully and where you've come from. In the mean time, I guess you can stay here with me. Of course, I expect you to help out a little. I live alone and it's nice to have a helping hand."

Sirius didn't particularly like the sound of work but he resigned himself to it. The old bird had helped him out after all and she wasn't really ordering him to do it. Something about been ordered about struck a chord with Sirius but Mrs. Thatcher had merely kindly requested that he do a little to help out. At the end of the day, Sirius figured it was the least he could do.

Dinner had never tasted so wonderful. When Mrs. Thatcher offered seconds, Sirius accepted without a second thought. Mrs. Thatcher smiled as she watched Sirius wolf down his food, like she had known how hungry he would be all along.

She didn't press him for any more details and Sirius didn't offer any. After dinner, he helped wash up and then they retreated to the lounge room. Mrs. Thatcher turned on the strange box which Sirius learned was called a television. They watched a show about a rather uncaring, drunken slob who owned a bookshop. The show was rather amusing although Sirius was once again reminded uneasily of his surname. The show was titled 'Black Books' and it had been a few minutes before Sirius had been able to forget about it and enjoy the show.

After that, Mrs Thatcher presented Sirius with several shirts and pairs of shorts and pants. Sirius felt a little overwhelmed by the old lady's generosity but thanked her graciously. It turned out she had a good eye as the clothes fitted perfectly when Sirius tried them on later upstairs in the privacy of his own room.

Things carried on in a similar fashion for the next week. It was two days later and not the next as promised, that the police informed Mrs. Thatcher they'd turned up no one matching Sirius' description. Sirius didn't think too much about it though. Now that the initial shock had worn off, Sirius found it strangely difficult to miss a life he couldn't remember.

He spent the long summer days helping Mrs. Thatcher in the garden and then wandering off into the surrounding country side for a few hours in the afternoons. He teased the cows and the sheep a few more times before being told off and made to help wash the strange travel machine which he learned was called a car. Mrs. Thatcher found it a little odd concerning how limited his knowledge was of technology and let Sirius know that. He could only shrug in return and put it down to memory loss or maybe they didn't have such luxuries where ever he'd come from.

It was one week out from the last day of summer that it happened.

Sirius went up to bed like usual at around 9:00 or there about. It had been a long day so it was only a matter of minutes before Sirius was fast asleep, sprawled on his stomach in the wake of the dreadful heat of the day.

For the most part Sirius' sleep was peaceful but during the early hours of the morning, nightmares once again intruded upon Sirius' mind. He'd only suffered one other minor one since arriving but it had been so brief Sirius didn't even remember it.

He was standing in a street full of people. Just in front of him was a man with his back to him, dressed in black. He was hurriedly pushing through the crowd, screaming after someone. The man's voice was laced with rage as he chased after a smaller man, dressed in shabby brown clothing. He kept glancing back over his shoulder fearfully as he scuttled along. His movements struck Sirius as rather rat-like as he tried to get away from his pursuer. Curious, he followed after the pair.

Finally the taller man in black caught up with his quarry and knocked him down. There was a mad scramble for a moment as people leapt aside from the fighting pair and suddenly they sprang apart. Several metres now between them, Sirius noticed that the smaller man had managed to fend off his attacker. There was a shallow cut in the right sleeve of the man in black which dripped with blood.

"That wasn't very smart of you Wormtail," growled the man. Sirius saw his head turn to glance down at the wound and then look back up and pointedly at Wormtail.

The smaller man flinched slightly, trying to edge away.

"You deserved it," he said fearfully, his eyes wide. "After what you did to Lily and James."

"You mean what you did," he drawled.

Sirius shivered slightly, the voice sounded so casual and yet so dangerous. Evidently the small man sensed this to as he squeaked and tried to flee.

"Don't move!" bellowed the black man, as he suddenly pointed a stick at the smaller man. Wormtail froze and turned to face his attacker once more. Sirius could see he was starting to get desperate and he found himself hoping that Wormtail would get away. The black man was terrifying although for the moment, Sirius couldn't see what was so threatening about a stick. Never the less, he sensed that to Wormtail, it was quite deadly despite its seemingly innocent appearance.

"You thought you were going to get away with it, didn't you?" asked the man.

"Stop it!" shrieked Wormtail.

"GIVE IT UP! I KNOW IT WAS YOU! DON'T YOU DARE DENY IT!"

Wormtail was not cowed by the furious tone. He frantically searched his clothing and whipped out a stick of his own.

"Expelliumous!" shouted black man. Wormtail's stick soared out of his hands. He made a desperate grab at it but missed.

"That was stupid Peter," said black man grimly.

"Now, now Sir-" began Wormtail, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace.

"Don't you 'now, now' me Wormtail," growled black man. "Let's not forget who's the auror here."

Wormtail backed up several steps but black man continued to follow. By now, people were trying to ignore the fighting pair but Sirius could see the occasional curious glance. Wormtail seemed to sense the glances to. Sirius could see his head occasionally whipping sideways looking for help when he sensed a glance and yet receiving none. In a desperate bid, Wormtail suddenly made his last stand.

"SHUT UP! I KNOW YOU KILLED LILY AND JAMES! YOU BETRAYED THEM!" cried Wormtail shrilly.

"Hardly," snapped black man.

"YOU DID IT! YOU WERE THEIR SECRET KEEPER!"

"We both know the truth Wormtail and one way or the other, it will come out. For you though, that doesn't really matter," said black man, advancing a few steps.

Wormtail backed up hastily, his eyes wide with fear. "What do you mean? You're not going to kill me to, are you?" stuttered Wormtail.

"Why shouldn't I?" retorted black man coldly.

"It's what you deserve."

Sirius gasped and hastily covered his mouth but no one had heard him. Black man still continued to advance and Wormtail retreated step for step. Sirius felt dizzy with elation as he suddenly noticed Wormtail trip. He landed hard and hastily scrambled back to his feet but Sirius noticed he'd managed to grab his stick in the fall. Apparently black man hadn't seen it so at least now they were even.

"Say hello to your master Wormtail," said black man softly.

Suddenly the pair moved with lightening speed. Sirius heard shouts but could see nothing as the whole street exploded. People screamed and chunks of debris flew hundreds of metres into the air.

The noise finally died away and Sirius dared to uncover his face. Bodies lay strewn across the street, blood colouring the shredded pavement in dark pools. There were groans and screams and standing right beside Sirius was black man. He had apparently been flung backwards by the force of the blast and had landed next to Sirius. The man's face looked terribly familiar but Sirius could think no further. His mind seemed to have gone numb as he observed the carnage.

A strange noise began to resonate through out the ruined street. Sirius turned, surprised to realize black man was laughing. It grew louder and louder as he looked about the devastated street. Of Wormtail, there was no longer any sign. He had vanished, completely incinerated in the blast.

There was a loud pop behind Sirius and he turned to see several grim faced men and woman, all dressed in crimson robes.

"Sirius Black?"

Sirius jumped, startled at the sound of his name.

"Yes?" he answered.

A man with a limp and a revolving eye had said his name but he wasn't looking at Sirius. He was looking to the right of Sirius at black man.

"What is it Mad-Eye?" asked Black.

Sirius stared, feeling the blood drain from his face. No wonder black man had looked familiar. An older version of himself stood beside him. Sirius Black stared calmly back at Mad-Eye and the other men and woman, completely undisturbed by what had just happened.

"You are hereby under arrest for the murder of Peter Pettigrew," growled Mad-Eye.

He glared at Black and Sirius was surprised to see Mad-Eye almost looked disappointed. Sirius was disturbed to see Black snort with disdain.

"The little traitor would have deserved it, if I'd actually killed him."

"That's enough Black," snapped Mad-Eye.

"You will hand over your wand and come quietly."

Like the day Sirius had dreamed about the hallway and the monster in the cell, he awoke with a yell, tumbled out of bed and hit the wooden floorboards with a thud.

He lay, sweaty and panting in the mess of blankets for several moments, trying to still his racing heart. It felt like it wanted to burst out of his chest and gallop away.

He heard footsteps and the door opened to admit Mrs. Thatcher into his room, her expression becoming concerned when she noticed Sirius on the floor.

"Good heavens Harry, what happened?" she asked, moving over to him.

Sitting up, Sirius realized he had been crying. The nightmare had utterly horrified him and he couldn't believe he could do such a thing. The worst thing was it already felt like it had happened although Sirius couldn't see how but never the less, that was the way it felt.

"I..I don't know. It was a nightmare," whispered Sirius, bitterly wishing he believed his own words. "I was an adult. I…I killed a whole lot of people because I believed this Wormtail person had betrayed me. But it didn't sound like that, it sounded like the opposite way around. You should have seen his face, he was so scared," said Sirius.

"Oh Harry," sighed Mrs. Thatcher, her eyes brimming with sympathy. Without hesitating, she knelt and enfolded Sirius in a warm embrace. It felt so comforting, being held in Mrs. Thatcher's arms like that. Sirius cried a little more, trying to gain control of his emotions but finding it next to useless to try. He didn't know what was happening. Who was he? What had he done before all this? Sirius had never more desperately wished to know the truth than now.

Finally Mrs. Thatcher pulled back, giving Sirius a gentle smile.

"Better?" she asked.

Sirius could only smile rather watery-like in return but it was enough.

"Well I suppose that's that," she sighed.

"If it's alright with you Harry, I'll go into town first thing in the morning and adopt you. How does that sound? We can still keep looking for your real identity of course but for now, school's coming up in a week and it'd be better for you if you were able to get into some kind of a routine."

Sirius wasn't sure what to think. He sat there, a little stunned as his brain tried to process what Mrs. Thatcher had just told him. It was a generous offer considering how long she'd known him but in all likelihood, she was probably lonely and had enjoyed his company over the last week.

"I'd like that a lot," said Sirius finally. Grinning and truly happy for the first time, Sirius hugged Mrs. Thatcher enthusiastically, summoning a surprised laugh from the old lady.

"Alright, let's get you back to bed. Will you be alright now?"

"Fine," answered Sirius confidently as he climbed back into bed.

Mrs. Thatcher gave him one last wave and quietly left. Sirius looked at the closed door for a minute before settling back down. He wasn't as fine as he'd claimed. Chills still ran through his body at the memory of the dream but eventually Sirius did sleep, his rest not disturbed until the next morning.

* * *

**Author's Note: **OK, I usually blab a whole bit here but I'm going to try and keep this short and simple for now as I hate reading long AN too despite the fact that I always write such long ones myself. This is once again, an impulsive beginning and after numerous tries at it, I'm pleased to say I've begun my first HP fic. I'm going to try to practice my writing skills and what not. Tips and advice would be very much appreciated as a result. Please ask questions, comment (either good or bad) and let me know what parts you find good and what parts you don't. Thanks!

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter is © J.K. Rowling. I make no profit from this fictional piece and it is merely to improve my own writing and share with other, fellow fanfiction writers.

**Sneak Peak: **Abigail Thatcher may have just adopted a child out of the goodness of her heart but when Sirius defends her in the most extraordinary manner, Abigail promptly forgets all about it thanks to a couple of Ministry workers and Sirius is swept away by the Headmaster to Hogwarts School of Witch Craft & Wizardry! Its gnomes, broom sticks and moving paintings galore. However, a startling introduction to one, James Potter, creates more problems for Sirius and his mysterious past than he'd have believed possible.


	2. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

**Sirius Black and the Four Founders **

By Lady Red

_What is the Veil exactly? Sirius discovers this the hard way when he finds himself in the future as an 11 yr old and attending Hogwarts a second time with James Potter II. One thing's for certain, life sure has gone to the dogs. _

**Chapter Two **

**Hogwarts School of Witch Craft & Wizardry **

Sirius was the first awake that morning, despite his rather disturbing night. Mrs. Thatcher found him on the front porch, basking in the morning sunshine along side the black cat that occasionally visited her garden. She'd never actually seen the animal up close before and was rather surprised to find it purring pleasurably under Sirius' skilful petting.

"There you are Harry. Would you like some breakfast?" she asked.

"Absolutely," said Sirius eagerly, bouncing up at the mention of food and sending the black cat sprawling. It gave Sirius a haughty glare, as if to say, _that wasn't very nice brat_. Sirius however, didn't see it as he hurried into the kitchen.

There was plate of bacon and eggs set out, still steaming as Sirius sat down. He tucked in eagerly and had to be reminded not to eat so quickly when he nearly choked a couple of times. Sirius slowed his pace by half a fraction of a second but the meal was still gone by the time Mrs. Thatcher sat down.

"Well someone was hungry," observed Mrs. Thatcher, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Starved actually," replied Sirius with a sheepish smile. "Say, does that cat actually have a name?"

"No, dear," answered Mrs. Thatcher. "I think its wild but it's never really come up to anybody before."

"Can I name it then?" asked Sirius.

"Well I don't see why not."

Sirius nodded and leaned back, a thoughtful look coming onto his face. He'd never named anything before – at least not that he knew of. He liked the idea of giving the cat a rather cool sort of name but 'Blackie' seemed to keep cropping up and obscuring his line of thought.

"How about George?" he ventured after a while.

Mrs. Thatcher considered it for a moment but shook her head. "No, much too boyish. It's a cat remember."

"What about Mittens?"

"Common as mud I'm afraid. It is your choice though."

"How about Thorm then?" Sirius finally suggested.

"I like it."

"Excellent!"

0-0-0-0-0-0

They left the house at half past nine, Thorm peacefully lapping at a bowl of milk on the front porch as they pulled out of the driveway. It was Sirius' first time in the 'car' and he had a hard time not gripping the dash every time Mrs Thatcher shifted up a gear or swung a little too hard around a corner. Eventually Sirius grew used to it but that didn't stop him grasping the side of the seat occasionally.

They pulled into town half an hour later and went straight to the post office to collect the mail. A tall, thin man with a grin so wide it looked like his face would split in half stood behind the counter as they entered. Sirius immediately disliked him with his wrists dangling out the end of his sleeves, the big mole on the side of his nose and his smoothed, oily hair which smoothed itself down against his scalp. He exuded an air of sleaziness which got right up Sirius' nose.

"Ah, Mrs. Thatcher! A pleasure to see you. I have a package here for you." He reached under the counter and pulled out a large parcel. Sirius immediately moved forward to take it but the man's eyebrow rose as his gaze fell on Sirius.

"Why Mrs. Thatcher, who's this?"

"This is my great nephew, Harry. Harry, this is Edgar Stewart."

"I didn't know you had a nephew," said Stewart, eyeing Sirius disdainfully. "Rather sullen looking but I suppose all the young ones are these days."

Sirius glared and snatched the parcel.

"Yeah well we can't all be perfect," he snapped.

"Really!" sniffed Stewart, giving Sirius an appalled stare.

Flushing with embarrassment, Mrs. Thatcher hastily bid Edgar Stewart a good day and left.

"My word Harry but you have got a sharp tongue at times," sighed Mrs. Thatcher once they reached the car.

"Well the slimy git asked for it," grumbled Sirius. He wasn't about to take back his words as Mrs. Thatcher unlocked the boot and Sirius carefully stowed the parcel.

"Well never mind. Edgar Stewart isn't one of the nicest people around but at least he does a good job."

Sirius shrugged but didn't comment as he followed Mrs. Thatcher into the shops. They stocked up on several items now that Mrs. Thatcher had Sirius to feed to and twenty minutes later they were once again back at the car.

"Alright, I'm going to go and get your adoption papers done. You can come with me if you like or spend the time exploring the town. Let's say you come back to the car in an hour and if I'm not here then I probably won't be far away," suggested Mrs. Thatcher.

"Yeah, that sounds alright," agreed Sirius. "It'd be nice to get a feel for the place."

"Alright then," said Mrs. Thatcher, shutting the boot with a bang.

"I won't be long so take care and Harry, if I'm going to adopt you I think a more appropriate name is in order. How about you call me Abigail?"

"Err…" answered Sirius. For some reason it just didn't sound right. "What about Aunt Abigail?" he asked.

"That'd be fine," answered Aunt Abigail with a smile.

"I'll see you soon."

"Alright," agreed Sirius.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Sirius spent the majority of the afternoon browsing through the shops. He discovered the little town was named Forres and was a pleasant enough place. The locals for the most part were friendly and Sirius found himself having to constantly answer who he was and where he was staying. He stuck with Aunt Abigail's lie about being her great nephew but knew it was only a matter of time before his adoption became public. He was most disturbed to learn that rumours had been circulating about someone picking up an unconscious boy and taking him in. There were all sorts of wild theories flying about and Sirius knew many people probably suspected it was him, despite what he had said. The truth however, would become apparent in time and Sirius supposed all that was left to do was deal with it when it happened.

He was back by the car half an hour early though. When all said and done, Forres was rather small and there wasn't all that much to see. 11:30 came and went however and by the time noon was ten minutes away, Sirius was starting to become anxious. He wished he had something to write with so he could leave a note and go looking. He didn't have anything however, so he lingered for another ten minutes and when Aunt Abigail still hadn't shown up, Sirius steeled himself and headed off in the same direction she had taken.

He hoped he'd run into her on the way but he saw no sign of Aunt Abigail. The further he went, the dingier the streets seemed to become. Sirius realized he was definitely in the poorer part of the town and he began to grow uneasy.

A scream suddenly broke through the air. In the previous quiet it echoed like a gunshot and Sirius took off without hesitation.

No further cry came and Sirius soon became disorientated in the maze of back streets. He searched desperately, hoping he hadn't imagined the scream and was close to howling in frustration when another muffled sob reached his ears.

Sirius took off once more, skidding wildly around a corner to finally find Aunt Abigail.

She was clearly hurt with her bruised face and battered form. Two men stood over, one jeering at her while the other tried to wrench away her handbag. Old Abigail though was hanging on valiantly, refusing to give up the bag.

The one trying to wrench it away swore at her and kicked her hard in the stomach. Aunt Abigail almost lost her grip but managed to hang on, tears streaming down her face.

Sirius lost it as he took in the scene. Never mind that these were two, full grown men – they were hurting the person that had rescued him and taken him into her own home, no questions asked!

Rage roared through Sirius and without even thinking, something seemed to snap inside of him. The two thugs looked up, as if sensing him and suddenly, the one who had hit his Aunt leapt up screaming. His clothing had burst into flame and the other only had a moment to stare dumbfounder at his friend before a huge gust of air whipped into him, sending him flying a good thirty feet and straight through a window.

Sirius barely even noticed. As far as he was concerned, the threat was taken care of as he moved over to help his Aunt.

He was rather shocked when his Aunt flinched away from him with a small whimper.

"Don't!" she pleaded.

"Just don't."

"But what did I do?" protested Sirius.

"I'm trying to help you!"

He reached down again to help his Aunt but she screamed and pulled herself away from him. The look of terror in her eyes as she stared at Sirius froze him to the core. Nobody had ever looked at him like that and to see it coming from the first person he had come to know and was beginning to – dare he say it – love? It hurt like nothing Sirius had ever believed possible.

"Just please, go away," whispered Aunt Abigail, no longer looking at Sirius.

Sirius could only nod numbly.

"Alright," he answered softly.

If she didn't want to see him again that was fine. Who was he to deny her?

Turning stiffly, Sirius walked away. He didn't dare look back but he knew he had just left his Aunt, injured and alone in a back street with no form of help. Sirius tried to remember anything she might have told him about what to do in an emergency but Sirius could think of nothing.

Eventually Sirius stumbled into a café, rattled off some sort of tale and sent the counter salesman hurrying out the door before he slipped away.

Sirius walked for a long time, out into the country side and away from the little village of Forres. Sirius didn't know where he was heading and he didn't particularly care. He was alone now, tossed out to fend for himself. It seemed rather absurd for an eleven year old to be 'tossed out' but to Sirius, it began to seem the most natural thing to do. The more he thought about it, the more he realised he shouldn't have done that in front of his Aunt. Something was telling him it was wrong to do such things in front of people like her but what exactly had he done wrong?

It couldn't have been the violence; he had merely been defending his Aunt. When it came down to it, Sirius had to conclude that the fire and the wind had been the cause of it. Apparently such abilities – no wait – magic was impossible but Sirius knew it wasn't. It had come totally naturally to him, like he had always known. Could that be the key? Was he actually from another world?

Sirius was so lost in though he didn't notice he was no longer alone.

"Ah, here you are Mr Thatcher."

Sirius halted, his head coming up with a jerk. A tall, red headed man was standing in front of him. Horn rimmed glasses were perched on the edge of his nose and Sirius guessed he was probably in his late thirties. He wore a strange set of lime green robes which clashed horribly with his bright red hair. The man was completely out of place and Sirius had to wonder what he was doing all the way out here.

"Been looking for you for nearly an hour you know," he said.

He eyed Sirius up and down a bit and then seemed to shake his head to himself.

"Err, excuse me. But what do you want?" asked Sirius.

"Why Mr Thatcher, I'd have thought that was obvious. You just performed magic in front of a muggle," explained the man.

'_A muggle?' _wondered Sirius. Did he mean Mrs. Thatcher?

"It's unusual for such an occurrence to happen so late in life but not unheard of. Thus, I am here to invite you to Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry. My name is Percy Weasley and I'm the current Headmaster. You however, may call me Professor Weasley or even just Professor. School will be beginning next week so I think it only appropriate that I take you back to the school with me. I will send someone to fetch your school supplies from Diagon Ally," explained Professor Weasley.

"Sorry, not interested," answered Sirius bluntly.

Professor Weasley looked at him strangely, not quite sure he'd heard correctly. It was true though, Sirius really wasn't interested. Magic had pushed Aunt Abigail away. Why would he want to learn any more of it?

"Well I'm afraid I can't accept your answer," sniffed Weasley, looking rather offended.

"Leaving magic untrained and unchecked is a foolish thing to do. No doubt you'll end up blowing yourself up or something rather unfortunate in a few years time."

"Look! I don't want to go," growled Sirius.

"If you're worried about Mrs. Abigail Thatcher then you needn't be," answered Weasley disdainfully.

"What?" asked Sirius, caught off guard.

"She has been patched up by the school nurse and her memory modified. Since she is now your guardian when you return home at the end of the year you will stay with her until it comes time for the next school year to begin. Now Mr. Thatcher, will you come with me? I have other more pressing matters to deal with and I don't need to be dallying here all day with you."

"Alright," Sirius relented. He wasn't exactly sure what he was getting himself into but what choice did he have? Besides, the prospect of a magical school sounded rather exciting.

With a sheepish grin, Sirius took hold of Weasley's arm, as instructed but not quite sure what to expect. Blackness suddenly dropped around his senses and Sirius had to fight the urge to struggle as something seemed to squeeze him on all sides. It was over as quickly as it had begun but Sirius flopped down woozily once his feet hit the ground. It was the oddest sensation he'd ever experienced and he had to admit he rather wished they travelled in Aunt Abigail's old, rickety car rather then, what was it? Side-along-appar-something? Whatever it was, Sirius had found it highly unpleasant and had no wish to repeat the procedure.

"Alright come along Mr Thatcher. We have a walk ahead of us now so no need to stand about gawping."

Professor Weasley took off with a long stride through the streets.

Sirius glanced around, surprised that the entire scenery had changed as he followed after the Professor. Others, who were dressed similarly to Professor Weasley in robes walked along the streets, going about their business. They didn't at all seem surprised that Professor Weasley and Sirius had just appeared within their midst. Sirius spotted an array of all sorts of unusual things being carried under their arms from caged animals like owls and cats to scrolls, foods and a rather large book which began to hiss any time it got to close to someone other then it's owner. Sirius stared, rather fascinated and kept having to be told to hurry up each time he stopped to look at something unusual.

"Err, Professor? Where are we exactly?"

"Hogsmede. It's about a twenty minute walk from the castle. Hogwarts has anti-apparation wards on it to prevent people apparating inside the school grounds. In the past Hogwarts has often been a sanctuary in wartime but I suppose you'll hear all about that once the term begins."

"I guess," answered Sirius. He hated to admit it but he was becoming rather curious about this school. He highly suspected however, that the pompous Headmaster probably wouldn't want to answer the endless stream of questions burning on the tip of Sirius' tongue.

Eventually they left the streets of Hogsmede Village behind and began the climb up the gently sloping track towards Hogwarts. Sirius couldn't see the castle through the stands of conifer trees but occasionally he caught a glimpse of the soaring turrets in the distant. The few glimpses were enough to make him hasten his pace and keep up with the tall Headmaster.

Finally they broke through the trees and it was like stepping out into a fairy tale. The castle soared above them, reaching up into the clear blue skies. Sirius stared, awestruck at the size of the place. Professor Weasley didn't wait though and after several seconds gazing, Sirius tore himself away and sped after the Professor.

They walked through an enormous set of iron gates and across a vast stretch of grass. A huge lake glistened on the eastern side of the school grounds and on the other side stood a dark and rather forbidding looking forest. It looked so sinister and murky beneath the trees that Sirius decided immediately that if there was one place he was going to avoid, it would be that forest.

Professor Weasley caught his gaze. "That's the Forbidden Forest," he said. "I wouldn't go wandering in there unless you want the centaurs to shoot you on sight."

"Centaurs?" queried Sirius worriedly.

"Half man, half horse. They're intelligent and powerful creatures not to mention expert archers. You'd be dead before you even saw them."

Sirius shuddered at the thought but dutifully followed the Professor. They swept up the steps and through the huge oak doors and into an expansive foyer. Sirius was beginning to feel rather dwarfed and insignificant with the size of the place. It was as if the entire magnitude of the castle was meant to make you feel like nothing more than a speck of dirt that had no right to be intruding upon its grandness.

Professor Weasley on the other hand, didn't slow his pace as he made his way up stairways, twisted through corridors and rooms and stepped through doors Sirius didn't even realise were there at times. He felt hopelessly lost within five minutes and quite sick with each twist and turn. Several unusual and obviously magical things kept happening to. There were suits of armour in one corridor which lunged at you and tried to hug you if you got to close. They ran afoul of a creature which Professor Weasley explained was a gnome. The dratted little thing knocked Sirius off his feet before he saw it and ran, cackling with laughter into the shadows. The paintings were the most unnerving thing of all. The people in them moved about and ogled at him in a manner which made him feel most uncomfortable. Sirius couldn't put a finger on what it was about him and it seemed, neither could the paintings. They muttered and whispered amongst themselves, pointing Sirius out to there comrades.

Finally, Professor Weasley stopped in front of a large painting. Puffing, Sirius came to a halt beside the Professor who didn't seem the least bit out of breath.

"Here we are," he announced.

"Phobes," said Professor Weasley.

The painting, which was of a large, balding man, grunted and suddenly swung inwards before Sirius' dumbstruck eyes.

"Remember the password," said Professor Weasley to Sirius as he stepped into the room.

Sirius followed him and found himself in a rather small but neat room. There was a poster bed pressed up against the wall near the door. The doona was a deep blue which matched the curtains hanging around the window next to the bed. Against the far wall were a desk and a tall wardrobe. It was a rather cosy sort of room and Sirius was pleased to see no sign of any paintings within the room.

"This room is used for guests occasionally. You'll stay here until the school term begins of Sunday night. After that, you'll be sorted into one of the school houses which are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. You can wander around the castle if you like but you may find it hard to get back here so I'd advise not venturing to far. Hogwarts is a big place and it's quite easy to get lost before you learn your way around the place," explained the Professor.

Sirius nodded. He could handle that at least and he didn't have any intention of going very far. If he was expected to attend school then he was sure he'd learn the way soon enough.

"You'll eat your meals here," continued Professor Weasley. "I'll also have the house elves bring you up some new clothing," he added, eyeing Sirius' now rather grimy attire.

"That'd be great. Thanks Professor," mumbled Sirius awkwardly.

"That's quite all right," replied Professor Weasley neutrally.

With a sharp click, the Professor turned on his heel and swept out of the room. The portrait creaked shut behind him and Sirius finally found himself alone.

0-0-0-0-0-0

The remainder of the day slipped away rather slowly. Sirius soon grew bored in his little room, despite his lengthy brooding session at first. Even that however, couldn't keep him occupied for long and by the time the house elves appeared late in the afternoon, Sirius was almost glad of the company despite the rather unnerving appearance of the little creatures. What they lacked in beauty they made up for in eagerness.

They primped and pressed and fussed over Sirius' new clothes and him as they fitted him, chattering away animatedly about this and that. None of it made much sense to Sirius although something interesting did come up towards the end of the conversation.

Sirius had only been half listening when he suddenly realised what one of them had said.

"Wait – did you say Harry Potter?"

"Of course sir!" chirped one which Sirius had learned was called Dobby. He was rather well dressed compared to his fellows with several layers of socks on his feet and hanging off his ears. He had three, rainbow coloured scarves wound around his knobbly neck and was wearing a ridiculous pink cardigan with bright purple pompoms on it.

"Harry Potter is only the greatest wizard to have ever lived. Why he defeated the Dark Lord when he was only seventeen Sir and Dobby is proud to say he has meet Harry Potter Sir," squeaked the house elf excitedly.

"Really?" replied Sirius curiously.

For some unknown reason, the name was setting off warning bells in Sirius' mind. Could this be his Harry? The one that was important enough that despite everything, he remembered his name?

Sirius didn't know and continued to think quietly for the rest of the fitting, ignoring the house elves as they moved on and began talking about Professor Weasley and a few other teachers that apparently taught at Hogwarts.

Sirius quietly said goodbye to them when they left and then flopped down on his bed, not caring that he was now crinkling his new red shirt and black trousers.

So Harry Potter was a famous wizard huh? That definitely had to be it then decided Sirius. He must have been a wizard before all this mess but he couldn't be certain that was entirely true. He definitely had no proof this was his Harry and when the familiar headache began to set in, Sirius dropped the thought and before he even realised it, he had fallen fast asleep.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Sirius woke up late the next morning, his stomach growling for food and momentarily forgetting where he was. It all came rushing back to him though, the instant he took in the sight of his room and remembered Professor Weasley.

Jumping out of bed, he hurried over to the window and flung it open. The glorious grounds of Hogwarts stretched out before him, the dew on the grass sparkling in the morning sunlight. Sirius was pleased to note he'd been given a room on the right side of the castle and beyond the grass stretched the vast lake as the sun rose above it. It made for a rather spectacular sight which Sirius drank in greedily.

Shutting the window and still grinning, Sirius noticed a plate of eggs, sausages, toast and baked beans had been laid out for breakfast on his desk while he slept. It was still steaming as Sirius took a seat and hungrily tucked in.

After breakfast, Sirius peeled off his rumpled clothing and took a quick shower in a small bathroom connected to his rooms. He settled on a brilliant green shirt this time and a similar pair of trousers as he got dressed. Ready at last to face the day, Sirius grabbed a black hooded jacket, tugged on a pair of joggers and headed out into the hallways of Hogwarts. It was difficult to remember the way but after some directions from a particularly friendly portrait of an old lady, Sirius finally found his way back outside.

He immediately set off around to the right hand side of the castle towards the distant shores of the lake. He skipped a few stones for awhile once he arrived but soon grew tired of that and looked around for something else to do.

Sirius was rather surprised to notice a rather huge structure sitting further up on a hill and around behind the back of the castle. He hadn't noticed it before but it was so large that Sirius, rather curious about the strange looking building, set off towards it.

As he drew nearer he began to hear shouts of laughter and a strange, whooshing sound. It took Sirius a good five minutes following the outer wall to find the entrance to the building but once he did locate it, he quickly hurried into the darkness, his curiosity burning like a small ball of fire in his chest.

Sirius stepped out onto a large expanse of grass. He frowned though, when he saw no one and it wasn't until he heard an exuberant whoop that Sirius looked up and gasped. He'd finally found the source of the noise as he spotted four people up in the sky, nearly seventy metres above his head. They were all riding broomsticks of all things; ducking and weaving, performing barrel rolls and loops as they spiralled through the air.

It appeared to be a game of two on two and Sirius was amazed to see Professor Weasley was one of the players. His face was set in a grim mask, his knuckles white as he gripped his broom tightly. He looked like he wished he was else where but he was refusing to give up just the same, despite being so uncomfortable. Professor Weasley was certainly not a confident flyer.

His companions on the other hand, looked born to it. There were two boys Sirius' age flying above and the third was another adult who looked a few years younger than Professor Weasley and could easily be the Professor's brother. His face however, was filled with exhilaration in comparison to the Professor's and of them all, he was clearly an experienced player and miles ahead of his playing companions.

He was partnered with one of the younger ones: a red haired boy who seemed to know what he was doing. Professor Weasley's partner however, looked like a natural. He was quite small and a bit on the skinny side but that didn't stop him from making up for where Professor Weasley fell down. His black hair whipped back against his scalp as he rocketed from one end of the field to the other. For the moment it looked like a game of keep-it-off as a funny shaped red ball was passed between partners only to eventually be snatched away and the rules reversed.

Sirius watched in rapt attention, shielded in the shadow of the entrance before something rather small and hard crashed into the back of his legs.

Down Sirius went with a yelp as the little gnome from yesterday disappeared into the shadows, cackling madly with laughter. There was a loud rattle and then it began throwing things out of the darkness at Sirius. Several red balls hit him in the head and a rather heavy chest smacked into the back of his knees as he scrambled forwards.

Unfortunately for the gnome, he threw a broomstick at Sirius which narrowly missed gouging his left eye. The broom hit Sirius in the shoulder instead and as soon as Sirius laid eyes on it, he felt a plan beginning to form.

Grinning recklessly, Sirius leapt up and dodged the barrage of objects as he made his way towards the gnome, the broom grasped firmly in his hand. There was only one thing on Sirius' mind and that was revenge.

The gnome hissed at Sirius from its hiding place as he closed in. He ignored it though and finally managed to locate the unpleasant little creature. His first attempt to grab it nearly resulted in a few lost fingers but the gnome stupidly turned away, intending to make a break for it and this time, Sirius grabbed it by one of its legs.

Up it came, kicking and howling. Sirius was sure if it could talk that it would be spitting curses at him as he clutched it by one, fat ankle.

Feeling triumphant, Sirius mounted his broom and took off without a second thought. Flying was just as good as he'd dreamed it would be. Up he soared, shooting past the thunderstruck Professor Weasley, the gnome still struggling in his grip. It was letting out little shrieks of fear now but Sirius didn't care. The loathsome little creature had had it coming as far as he was concerned.

He reached the three large hopes he'd seen from the ground at the far end of the pitch and pulled up sharply. The broom obeyed his command a little more abruptly then he'd expected and Sirius nearly flew off his broom as a result but managed to maintain his grip.

"Right you little feral," he growled.

Reaching up one handed, Sirius pulled the cord from his hooded jacket and tied one end around the gnome's ankle that he clutched. The other end he tied to the apex of the tallest hoop and then he flew back several metres to admire his handiwork. The little gnome swayed gently in the breeze, screaming and shaking its tiny fists in rage at him. Sirius laughed at the commercial site and swooped back down to the grassy field, still struggling to contain snorts of laughter. The gnome looked like a spec now, dangling utterly helpless from the hoop above him. It was the best thing Sirius had seen in days.

He grinned, mentally congratulating himself.

"Oi!"

Sirius jumped and whirled around. The four players had landed and the red haired man Sirius didn't know was marching towards him, his broom slung over his shoulder. He didn't exactly look cross but nor did he looked pleased either.

Sirius felt his grin fading away as he watched them approach. The two boys followed after and Professor Weasley brought up the rear. He was shooting Sirius a disapproving glare but the boys seemed to be caught between laughing and whispering curiously to one another as they approached.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked the man, coming to a halt in front of him. He had a smattering of freckles across his face and wore a brown cap, from beneath which tufts of red hair flicked up in all directions. At any other time, Sirius thought the man might have been amused but his little retribution seemed to have upset him for some reason.

"You do realise you just tied Booger to the goal post don't you?"

"Yeah I do," answered Sirius. His tone came out a little sullen and he wished he hadn't sounded quite so disrespectful.

"That little monster had it coming though," Sirius defended himself.

"That's the second time in two days I've been minding my own business and it's knocked me over…Sir," he added as an after-thought.

"Well everyone knows Booger's a pest but what'd you expect? It's a gnome, it's what they do."

"Well actually George," interrupted Professor Weasley. "Harry here didn't know. He's muggle born and he'll be starting school on Monday with all the other first years. Although I must say Harry, it was dangerous of you to get on a broom like that. You could easily have fallen and killed yourself."

"I guess so Sir," replied Sirius. He personally didn't think so though. Riding a broom was easy – like he'd been doing it all his life. Sirius didn't really believe it was possible he_ could_ fall.

"Look Harry, just wait here a minute. George and I will pack up. These are our nephews, Hugo Weasley and James Potter. They'll keep you company for a minute. Won't you boys?"

Professor Weasley shot the two boys a severe look. Hugo and James smiled guiltily, looking like they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. They affirmed the Professor's wishes and with one last glance, Professor Weasley turned away, back in his element now that his feet were on the ground. George, who could only be the Professor's younger brother, mounted his broom and kicked off, circling upwards to where little Booger hung, suspended by his ankle.

"So," said Hugo, breaking Sirius' line of thought. "You're Harry huh?"

"Err, yeah," replied Sirius' coming back to reality. "Harry Thatcher."

"Geez you're lucky you know," piped up James.

Sirius frowned, not sure what James was getting at.

"Harry – you know. Harry Potter?" prompted James.

"Oh right," said Sirius. "Yeah I heard about him. He's some famous wizard or something isn't he?"

"Not just any, he's my Dad and the greatest of all," announced James, his chest puffing out ridiculously.

Behind James, Sirius saw Hugo roll his eyes and sigh. It was apparently a common occurrence.

"You should be proud to have the same name as him. I got named after my grandfather but it would have been cooler if I'd had my Dad's name."

"Wouldn't people get you mixed up though?"

"Nope," answered James. "My Dad's got his Mum's eyes. Only Albus got those. They're such a bright green there's no way to confuse us and I'm a couple of inches bigger then my Dad ever was at this age."

"You have a brother?" asked Sirius beginning to get a little confused.

"Yeah and a sister. James pulled a rather disgusted face. Albus is a real book worm and Lily's just a tattle tale. You can't get away with anything around her."

"James loves pranking," explained Hugo, still looking rather put out by his cousin's behaviour.

Sirius nodded, only half listening. A strange buzzing had steadily been growing in the back of his mind. It was getting louder and louder as Sirius' vision began to narrow. He was still looking at James and James kept on talking, not noticing that Sirius was beginning to sway ever so slightly.

He could hear a voice, so similar to James and it was like he was looking at James and yet not him. There were subtle differences and then suddenly, the boy turned and smiled at Sirius.

"_Hey, Sirius! Come on, you know what McGonagall's like. If we don't hurry up we'll get detention to see us through until Christmas."_

James laughed and turned away. Suddenly, darkness was swamping Sirius. Vaguely he felt his body crumple. He could smell the cool grass against his face and feel someway shaking him. They were calling out a name, it sounded like Harry but Sirius knew that wasn't his name.

The last thing Sirius remembered was the feeling of arms scooping him up and then everything faded away as unconsciousness took him.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Wow! I hated writing that but I loved reading it. Thanks so much for the reviews last chapter but for those of you who just whacked me on 'Author Alert,' I'd love to hear from you. It was so disappointing to get all these emails and learn that the majority of them were just alerts of some form or another. I'd love to hear what you all have to say about this so please drop me a line. Cheers!

**Sneak Peak: **Let the school year begin! After Sirius' little fainting spell, things progress quickly as students begin to arrive and Sirius finds himself wondering where he'll be sorted. The word is out and apparently Gryffindor is the place to be and you might as well pack up and go home if you land in Slytherin. For Sirius, life will never be the same. And what's this? What ever could the Sorting Hat mean?


	3. The Sorting Hat

**Sirius Black and the Four Founders **

By Lady Red

_What is the Veil exactly? Sirius discovers this the hard way when he finds himself in the future as an 11 yr old and attending Hogwarts a second time with James Potter II. One thing's for certain, life sure has gone to the dogs. _

**Chapter Three **

**The Sorting Hat **

Slowly Sirius began to wake. He opened his eyes a fraction and was rewarded with a stab of pain as his aching head informed him it did not appreciate the morning sunlight streaming into his room. Hastily shutting his eyes with a wince, Sirius lay still, not at all sure what had happened. The last thing he remembered was speaking to Hugo and James and after that, there was just nothing.

"Awake are we?"

A bright, cheery voice penetrated Sirius' thoughts and he opened his eyes more carefully this time to find a grinning face above him. The grinning face turned out to belong to a hunched over, old man. His bright blue eyes danced with delight as he began examining Sirius, poking and prodding him from every angle.

"Hey, cut that out," snapped Sirius, pulling back his hand. The old man laughed and hoped off his step, set beside Sirius' bed. He lurched over to the counter, with a rather pronounced limp, his wispy hair flapping about his shoulders and his faded blue robes dragging along behind him. He returned to Sirius' beside with a goblet which he thrust into Sirius' hands.

"What is this?" demanded Sirius suspiciously. The old man was a little creepy. He continued to grin, somewhat maddeningly at Sirius.

"That is a goblet with a simple headache potion in it. Drink it," he commanded, his voice high and squeaky.

"I'm Joseph Pomfrey though everyone calls me Old Jo. You're in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. It is 3:27 on a Sunday afternoon, the day after you were given into my care when you mysteriously collapsed down at the Quidditch Pitch. I highly suspect a case of mental trauma but I doubt you'll tell me that. Am I right?"

Old Jo gave Sirius sly smile as Sirius finally gave in and downed the potion. It tasted rather salty and made his insides clench as it slid into his stomach. Grimacing, Sirius handed back the goblet and lay back.

"How long do I have to stay here?" he asked.

"Oh you could probably leave by lunchtime. I just want to make sure you don't have a relapse," said Jo, tossing the goblet into the sink.

Sirius sighed. That didn't sound good, a whole morning with nothing to do. Old Jo surprised him however, when he ambled back over to Sirius' bed with a stack of magazines.

"Here, you can read these while you wait. The boys from yesterday also asked me to give you this."

He gave a rather disgusted look and dropped something into Sirius' lap. He was astonished to see it was just a box and it had _Chocolate Frogs_ written on the top. Curious, Sirius opened the box and nearly fell off the bed when a chocolate frog literally jumped out of the box. It hopped onto the floor, across the room and before Sirius could blink, it had jumped out the window. He couldn't quite believe that James and Hugo would give him something like that as he stared after it.

Old Jo had apparently seen the entire event and broke into a wheezing kind of laugh.

"Ah you should have seen you're face!" he giggled, wiping a stray tear away. "Chocolate frogs do try to get away you know. You're supposed to eat them before they can."

"Really?" asked Sirius, a little horrified at the thought. "They actually taste like chocolate then?"

"Of course! It's just a spell, wears off after awhile," replied Jo airily.

"Oh," said Sirius feeling rather foolish.

Shrugging and still chuckling to himself, Old Jo left Sirius alone. After the disastrous chocolate frog affair, Sirius picked up the box and discovered that there were cards to collect in the box. He had gotten a card with an old man called Albus Dumbledore on it but after a cursory glance at the description on the back, Sirius set it aside and picked up one of the magazines. Most of them were woman's magazines but the morning passed rather quickly for Sirius as he became engrossed in them. There were so many interesting things that had happened to the people in them and Sirius found he had become totally absorbed in the various magical happenings before Old Jo came in around mid-afternoon.

"Still here are you?" he asked. He laughed at Sirius' startled look – he hadn't heard the man at all!

"You'd best get going if you want to be ready with the other students. The Hogwarts Express will be arriving in an hour or two and you'll need to get changed and find your way to the Great Hall."

Sirius didn't need to be told twice as he hopped out of bed and shot out the door like a rocket. He was glad to be free of the ward but quickly realised he had no idea what part of the castle he was in. He was forced to seek advice from the paintings once again and nearly had another encounter with Booger, who was lurking in a fifth floor corridor. Luckily, Sirius saw the gnome before it did and he managed to skirt around it and keep going.

At long last Sirius found his room again and tore inside with barely half an hour to spare before he'd have to be down in the Great Hall with the other first years. He threw on the freshly pressed robes laid out by the house elves for him on the bed, frantically dragged a comb through his hair and then rushed out the door again, barely hearing the painting's disgruntled yell at him.

It took Sirius a little longer than he liked but he finally stumbled into the Great Hall, panting and surprised to discover it was almost completely empty except for a few house elves setting out the finishing touches to one of the tables.

"Sir!" squeaked Dobby, spotting him in the doorway.

He leapt down from where he had been arranging plates and came hurrying over, as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"Sir is early Sir," said the house elf, coming to a halt in front of Sirius. He wasn't surprised to see the house elf was still wearing his pink cardigan.

"Old Jo said the feast would start soon," explained Sirius.

"That it does Sir," replied Dobby. "But Sir should be down in the foyer with Professor Longbottom. All the first years are to be sorted before the feast begins."

"Sorted?" queried Sirius. It wasn't the first time he'd heard the term and he was beginning to become rather uneasy about it. What if it was some kind of test? What if Sirius failed and had to go back to knowing nothing? Sirius didn't even want to think about it. Hogwarts was the first thing that had made sense to him, that just felt right. How could he give up his only link to his past?

"Sir really should be going," said Dobby. "The students will be arriving soon."

"Well alright," said Sirius, resigning himself to his fate.

He left the Great Hall and headed towards the foyer. He vaguely realised that he'd walked past the doors to the Hall a few times now and had not even realised it was there. Never the less, the foyer was familiar and easy enough to find.

Sirius found a rather tall and gangly kind of man standing in the foyer. Professor Longbottom was absently chewing the end of a quill as he stared down at a sheet of parchment. Sirius guessed it was probably a list of first years. He had a rather dopey but friendly sort of face and Sirius found it easy to approach the Professor as he stood, mulling over the list of students.

"Excuse me Professor?"

Professor Longbottom whirled, shocked to see Sirius behind him.

"Oh sorry," he mumbled as Sirius stumbled back, a little startled by the Professor's rather nervous reaction. "Didn't hear you."

"That's alright," replied Sirius. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Professor Longbottom laughed.

"I could say the same. Afraid it's a bad habit," he admitted.

"Still, I wasn't expecting the first years to be here yet although I see there's only one of you."

"I'm Harry Thatcher," said Sirius, introducing himself.

"The Headmaster brought me to Hogwarts a few days ago. Got in a bit of an accident," confessed Sirius, his cheeks burning.

"Oh that's alright – I'm always getting into accidents to. Broke my third vase on the way here actually," said the Professor.

Sirius laughed, already beginning to feel at ease with the clumsy professor.

"Sounds like they're coming," said Professor Longbottom and indeed, they were.

A stream of students wearing black robes just like Sirius' came pouring around a corner and up the steps. They were following the most enormous man Sirius had ever seen. His grizzly iron grey hair hung about his shoulders as feet the size of two large watermelons strode up the steps. It strangely looked like he was grinning because his small, little black eyes had crinkled up at the corners.

"Hagrid! Good to see you," beamed Professor Longbottom stepping forward.

"Ello there Neville – ah – Professor," replied Hagrid.

"Got the first years here 'though it looks like you've already got one with you," said Hagrid, his eyes coming to rest on Sirius.

Sirius shifted nervously from foot to foot. He hated to admit it but the giant rather intimidated him.

"This is Harry Thatcher," said Professor Longbottom, introducing Sirius.

Hagrid looked him up and down, his smile slipping just slightly as he gave Sirius a rather odd look.

"My but you don' look like a trouble maker. I knew another student just like you," said Hagrid.

"Course it was a long time ago but he was a nice chap – grew into a right wonderful young man. 'E was always up to no good mind but he had his heart in the right place."

Hagrid sighed, apparently lost in memories. All the other students were now looking curiously at Sirius which did nothing to make him feel any more comfortable.

"Ahem, well yes, got to go Hagrid – sorting and all you know," said Professor Longbottom, breaking the awkward moment.

"Course, right you are Professor," said Hagrid, apparently back on Earth.

With a quick wave, Hagrid disappeared down a side corridor.

"That's Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts," explained the Professor out of the side of his mouth to Sirius.

"Right," he said loudly, now addressing the students. "If you'll follow me."

Professor Longbottom turned and promptly tripped over his robes. He righted himself with an embarrassed laugh and then led the way onwards.

This time Sirius was able to enjoy the return trip to the Great Hall rather than the blur it had previously been. As it was leading towards the main part of the castle, the hallway was rather extravagant with several items on display that Sirius couldn't quite believe. In a school of students about to learn magic, it seemed silly to have so many breakables. Vases of all descriptions and colours where lined up on delicate glass pedestals on either side of the hall. Several students seemed a little awestruck by the fragile looking glassware although Sirius quickly forgot about that when he someone suddenly careered into him, their arm snaking around his neck and nearly knocking Sirius into Professor Longbottom's back.

He looked over his shoulder to see the familiar face of James Potter. Hugo was a half a step behind, smiling brilliantly at Sirius.

"Harry! Didn't expect to see you up and about," said James.

"Err, yeah…Jo let me out. Wasn't anything serious," said Sirius quickly.

"Blimey," said Hugo. "You sure? Fainting isn't exactly an everyday kind of thing."

"I didn't faint," retorted Sirius defensively.

"Well it looked like it," replied James. He smirked at Sirius and suddenly Sirius wasn't feeling quite as friendly. He remembered James' earlier attitude with a grimace. He wasn't at all surprised to see Hugo roll his eyes and send Sirius an apologetic look. Apparently his cousin was always like this.

"Quiet back there," said Professor Longbottom. "We're nearly there so I expect everyone to enter in two, straight and orderly lines."

The students hurried to obey and before Sirius realised it, they were sweeping into the Great Hall. Hundreds of students swivelled in their seats to look at them. Sirius found that his nervousness only increased as they made their way up the aisle towards a long table of teachers. Professor Weasley was sitting right in the middle and Sirius was a little surprised to also see George next to him.

"Uncle George is a Professor to," said Hugo, catching Sirius' look. "He teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Sirius nodded and before he knew it, they had come to a halt in front of the head table. Professor Longbottom disappeared momentarily only to return with a stool and a somewhat frayed hat.

Sirius looked at it, confused as to what was supposed to happen as Longbottom set down the stool and placed the hat on top. He retreated back a few steps and stood, looking as if he were waiting for something.

Then, to Sirius' amazement, a tear seemed to open in the hat and suddenly it began to sing!

_Gather round and listen hear,_

_For all those entering first year._

_You're in for a treat tonight,_

_Even if it's just to see the sights._

_For you're about to enter Hogwarts,_

_Full of spells and potions and all sorts._

_But alas, business first,_

_No time to eat or quench your thirst._

_You must be sorted to your place,_

_So the long years you can face,_

_Don't be afraid, step up, step up,_

_Put me on and I'll read your nut._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Such courage and bravery do those adore._

_Or perhaps in dear Hufflepuff,_

_Who are clearly made of harder stuff._

_For you it may be Ravenclaw,_

_On wings of knowledge you shall soar,_

_Or last but not least, Slytherin,_

_Where dwell those of great skill and ambition._

_So try me on, you needn't worry,_

_Come on now, you must hurry._

_You mustn't keep your classmates waiting,_

_So let's go now, time's a wasting._

As the hat finished it song the students burst into a round of applause. Sirius joined in, clapping enthusiastically.

"Right," said Professor Longbottom stepping forward.

"When I call your name out can you please come up and sit on the stool. I will place the sorting hat on your head and then you will be sorted into your house. Anderson, Loki!"

A slight, blonde haired boy slipped past Sirius and walked up the dais. Apprehensively he took a seat and the Professor Longbottom placed the hat on his head. It was so big it slid down over his eyes and hunched up a bit, as if in deep thought.

A moment later, the hat suddenly cried, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The boy took the hat off and sprang off his seat to go and join the long, yellow table of students. As Sirius watched, the inside of his robes and his neck tie turned yellow to match the rest of the Hufflepuff students.

Baxter, Douglas was next and he became a Hufflepuff to.

Julia Longbottom became the first Gryffindor followed not long after by James Potter. Finally Sirius' turn came.

"Thatcher, Harry!"

Sirius hesitated half a second but Hugo gave him a small push in the back and Sirius moved forward, dread filling him.

He climbed up the steps, feeling the eyes of the entire hall burning the back of his neck. He didn't dare look up at the teacher's table. He had never felt so exposed before in his entire life and strangely, he didn't like it. His instincts were shrieking at him, demanding to know why he was out in the open like this.

His vision began to darken around the edges and suddenly, Sirius understood what was happening. Forcing down the panic, he tried to gain some sort of calm, refusing to succumb to another fainting incident in front of the entire school.

His face white with the strain, Sirius sat and was enveloped in darkness as the hat was placed on his head. It made him feel a little better now that he couldn't see anyone but he jumped violently when the hat suddenly spoke in his ear.

"My, my! How very unusual," said the hat.

"What it?" thought Sirius, still a little shocked.

"Why, it's the first time I've ever had to sort anybody twice."

"_What_?"

"Yes although I can't imagine what you've been up to Sirius Black. Still, you aren't going to be any easier to sort than last time. Of course, the potential for trouble was always there but I see that same stubborn and rather reckless streak hasn't abated any. Plenty of brains too and a good work ethic. Also rather sharp and determined…yes, well," continued the hat to itself. "I suppose this is going to be a very interesting year."

The hat was silent a moment, apparently reaching a decision.

"Alright then, might as well put you where you belong in –

GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius could hardly believe it but he slipped of the stool quickly, feeling it was rather miraculous that he'd passed the test. He nearly forgot to take off the hat and had to hastily give it back to Professor Longbottom before he made his way down to the Gryffindor table. There was a clear space next to James, Sirius found rather unfortunately, which he took.

The other Gryffindor turned, grinning brilliantly at Sirius.

"Can you believe it? My Dad was a Gryffindor to. It's become the most popular house since his day. Nobody wants to be in Slytherin although that can't be helped if your whole family's always been in there."

He shot a rather dark look at the green table across the hall and Sirius noticed the glare mostly seemed to be directed at a small, blond haired boy. He was staring sullenly at his plate and sitting a little apart from the other students.

"Who's that?" he asked curiously as Hugo slipped into a seat next to Sirius.

"That's Scorpios Malfoy. All the Malfoys have been in Slytherin. They're all purebloods and his dad and grandfather were big supporters of you-know-who," said Hugo.

"What do you mean you-know-who?" asked Sirius. "Do you mean the Dark Lord your Dad defeated?" he said to James.

"Yeah," replied James. "He's only the most terrible wizard to have ever lived. Killed hundreds of people including my grandparents. Poor Dad had to grow up with the Dursleys. They treated him like scum – weren't magical themselves you see. Absolutely hated him. Dad never talks about them if he can help it although he seems to be on better terms with Dudley now. They see each other a bit even though Dudley still hates magic. Gets all stuttery the moment you mention the M-word around him."

"Anyway," continued Hugo, pointedly dragging James back on track. "It's no surprise Scorpios has landed himself in Slytherin. There hasn't been a single decent witch or wizard to have come out of that house in years. I suppose it won't be long before he and James are at one another's throats. Their father's were – I don't expect it to be any different."

Sirius snorted, earning a surprised look from the other two and even another first year sitting across from them. Sirius vaguely recalled her name was Lucy Prescott. She was sitting beside a taller student who'd apparently been there for a few years already. He to, was now looking at Sirius.

"Well that can't always be true," said Sirius at their disbelieving looks.

"I mean, the hat just said Slytherins are ambitious. It didn't say they were evil. Surely not all Slytherins are that bad," said Sirius.

"You think?" retorted Hugo sceptically.

"The only half way decent one was Severus Snape and even then, he was still a slimy git apparently."

"Who was he?"

"Old headmaster. He was a double-agent in the war," explained James.

"He and my grandfather loathed one another at school. It wasn't till the end that Dad found out he'd always been on our side. My brother got named after him. Dad and Snape might have hated one another but Dad respected Snape for what he did in the end. In those days it took a lot of guts to lie to you-know-who and get away with it."

James would have continued but Professor Weasley had suddenly stood.

"Well it's nice to see you all once again. I'll spare you a lengthy speech tonight as I know it's been a long trip. Just a few school rules though that the first years should take note of. Some of the older students could also use a little reminder," said Professor Weasley, shooting a grim smile at a group of guilty looking Hufflepuffs further up their table.

"First of all, please be aware that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds. Our caretaker, Mr Bolton, would like me to remind you all that magic is strictly prohibited in the corridors between classes as are several joke items. Please see the list outside his office so that you are aware of the banned items and will not be caught unawares should anything on the list be found in your possession. That way there can be no excuses."

Professor Weasley paused, allowing that to sink in and then moved on.

"Students should also note there is to be no fighting amongst houses. A little bit of rivalry never hurt anybody but the lengths to which students have gone in previous years is totally unacceptable. Any students caught fighting will be forced to spend time with one another until they can resolve their differences. Is that clear?"

The headmaster fixed his students with a sharp glare and several heads hastily nodded, including Sirius' own. He had no intention of getting into any fights; unless of course somebody else started it then it was free for all as far as he was concerned.

"Alright, let the feast begin!"

With a clap of the professor's hands, all the empty plates the house elves had carefully laid out suddenly filled with food. Sirius' mouth watered at the sight of it and without needing any further prompting, he tucked in.

James tore into his food just as relentlessly as Sirius leaving Hugo to sigh and roll his eyes - a practice that was apparently becoming a habit.

"So what were you saying about Slytherin?" piped up Lucy from across the table.

"What?" replied Sirius, struggling to recall the conversation.

"About them not possibly being bad?"

"Oh that," said Sirius, hastily swallowing.

"All I meant was I just don't see how every single person in that house can be utterly evil. Just doesn't sound right."

"Well you give it a few weeks and you'll see what they mean," interrupted the tall boy next to Lucy dryly.

"I'm a forth year and the moment you find me a decent Slytherin, you let me know."

"Right," replied Sirius, irritated by the turn in the conversation.

"I'm Peter, Lucy's older brother," explained the blond haired boy. He had a rather honest face and bright green eyes noticed Sirius, which was strange because his younger sister was brown haired with matching brown eyes and a sprinkling of freckles across her nose.

"Harry Thatcher," answered Sirius, trying to sound polite.

"Well, that's funny," laughed another boy sitting beside Peter. He was smaller with a rather narrow face and bucked teeth. He wore an amused expression however, as he looked between Peter and Sirius.

"Your brother's a Slytherin after all."

"My brother is also a spoilt, little brat," sighed Peter as if they had had this argument many times before.

"Don't talk about Ed that way Peter. He's not all bad," said Lucy. She gave Peter a hurt look which made the other boy wince and apologise with another sigh.

Sirius shrugged to himself and tuned out the rest of the conversation. Hugo later chose to inform Sirius that Peter and Lucy were two of four siblings, all muggle born. They had an older sister in third year who was a Ravenclaw but she didn't tend to associate overly much with her siblings. Edmund (their younger brother), by all reports, was prone to insults and rash decisions, the later being a rather Gryffindor type of thing to do apparently. He was also known however, to be rather quiet and immensely overshadowed by Peter who was not only handsome and popular because of his noble personality but was also an outstanding Quidditch player who was keeper for the Gryffindor team and had helped the House secure the Quidditch Cup the last two years running.

Hugo continued to prove to be a wealth of information following dinner when the first years made their way back to their dormitories, their stomachs so full Sirius thought it would have been more appropriate to roll them there. He explained to Sirius a range of things including when student holidays were, what type of classes they would be having and what teachers were best to steer clear of.

Sirius didn't hear half of it and quickly forgot the rest of it although he did learn much to his surprise, what had been the reasoning behind George's reaction to the Bogger incident on the Quidditch pitch.

According to Hugo, George and Percy Weasley came from a wizard family of seven children. There were two brothers older than Percy. Bill, the eldest, was married and with a daughter in seventh year named Victoria. After him came Charlie who worked with dragons in Romania. He was married with a set of twin sons who were the beaters for the Gryffindor team and also a younger daughter who would be coming to Hogwarts the following year.

After Bill and Charlie came Percy and then Fred and George, twin brothers apparently. The youngest son was Ron, Hugo's father and finally was the only girl in the Weasley family, Ginny, whom had married the famous Harry Potter and become James' mother.

All seven Weasley children had become heavily involved in the war and of all the siblings, Fred had been the one lost to them. Uncle George had never fully recovered from the loss of his twin and his joke shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezers, had only lasted a shaky three years before George had finally packed it in.

Percy offered his brother a place at Hogwarts and George immediately took it and didn't look back. He'd sold everything in the shop and the only thing he had taken with him was Bogger who had skulked in their back workshop since Fred and George had bought the place. The gnome was a reminder of happier days or so the story went and he had been brought to Hogwarts and left to wage constant war on the students ever since.

Sirius felt immensely sorry for the Weasley family once the whole, tragic tale had come out. Hugo and James however, shrugged it off.

"That doesn't stop Uncle George," said James with a grin.

"He gets the students to call him George and it's widely known that he's a mischief maker. Half the pranks that go on around here can't be explained but it's no secret it's probably him. Uncle Percy puts up with him I guess, probably because he can't prove it."

"Or more likely because George would prank his own brother to death if he sacked him," interjected Hugo dryly.

The three boys looked at one another and promptly burst out laughing.

"Alright boys, move aside," ordered a voice from behind them.

A raven haired, Asian girl moved past them as they leaned back to make way for her. A shiny, gold badge glittered on her chest as she pushed her way through the students and up to the head of the line.

In the middle of the tale Sirius hadn't realised they'd come to a halt on the stairway. He watched curiously along with everyone else as the girl stepped up to a large painting of a rather fat woman dressed in a pink gown with so many ruffles on it she looked like a giant pom pom.

"Password," asked the fat lady.

"Alucard," answered the girl promptly.

The fat lady nodded and swung aside to reveal a concealed hole in the wall. The girl stepped through and the other students followed her into the Gryffindor common room.

Sirius felt a sense of strange familiarity surround him as he stepped into the large room. Many older students were already there and seated comfortably around the room. Most of them were talking and catching up on the summer holidays but a few were playing games and one girl was even writing what looked like a letter.

The common room was decked out in deep reds and a lot of dark wooden furniture with gold furnishings. Squashy red armchairs and lounges littered the room but Sirius couldn't shake of the feeling that he'd seen all this before, some place else. Unconsciously, one word sprang to mind and Sirius muttered it under his breath before he even realised he'd said it.

"Home."

"Did you say something Sirius?" asked Hugo, half a step behind him.

"Oh nothing," replied Sirius hastily.

"So what do you think," asked James, sidling up with a wide grin.

"Pretty cosy looking huh and the best thing is only a Gryffindor can get in here," he added.

"It's great," agreed Sirius, truly meaning it.

For the first time in awhile, he finally felt like he was getting somewhere and any place that seemed familiar and made him say 'home' out loud, was the best place to be.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well there you have it, another chappie although I'm sorry this one took so long. I had a little trouble getting motivated but I'm pleased with how it turned out. I was going to post this last night but it was late and all so I saved it for today. Enjoy and don't forget to write me a review if you've got the time. They really help, not only for motivation but are also a convenient way for you guys to give me tips and advice to help me improve. You, after all, are the ones reading this so anything you have to say can only make this story better.

Cheers!

P.S. What did you guys think of the hat's song? Took me about 40 minutes to make it up.

**Sneak Peak: **The first day for any Hogwarts student is almost always described as chaos. For Sirius however, you might as well hand him the noose and tell him to go hang himself when he finds out he has a double period of Transfiguration first up and worst of all, it's with the Slytherins and you've got James Potter in the same room. Disaster reigns supreme.


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